I Dream Of You
by novemberskie
Summary: /New and Improved\ Matthew has fallen for a boy in his dreams, and fallen hard. He's the only one who seems to care solely about him, and his happiness. Matthew is in pain every day, and this dream boy protects and cherishes him. But, when people begin to question his sanity, will he find that this dream boy doesn't exist? Or will they finally meet?
1. The Dreams

When Matthew woke up in his bedroom, he knew something was off, something wasn't right. He was alone, which wasn't unusual, but he found that he wasn't wearing the same thing he had been wearing when he first went to sleep. Now he had on a black hoodie with an eagle across the chest. Confused, he sat up and looked around his room. Everything looked the same, though he still didn't know where the hoodie came from. It wasn't his, and it definitely wasn't his twin brother's. His hands unconsciously reached into the pockets, and he was surprised to find something in there. When he pulled his hand out, he produced a small dandelion.

Suddenly, his dream came flooding back;

_Matthew sat in the middle of a small meadow with a boy who had pale skin, messy white hair, and dangerous ruby eyes. The two sat beside one another, laughing at some joke the albino had told the blond. Matthew was wearing the hoodie to block out the slight chill in the air. _

_ "Y-you're too… too funny." Matthew gasped between breaths, his violet eyes for once not filled with an endless sorrow. "Seriously, you should be a comedian."_

_ "Naw." The albino replied with a small shrug. "I'd never make it. I'd be away from you for too long."_

_ The Canadian blushed, looking away. However, a hand on his chin turned his face back towards the other boy._

_ "Why do you look away from me?" He asked curiously, head tilted to the side. _

_ "I don't know." Matthew shrugged, earning a raised eyebrow. "Gil, I seriously don't know."_

_ "Really?" Gilbert leaned in closer, his lips close to Matthew's. So close. Too close…_

_ However, things got fuzzy suddenly, and he was yanked roughly from his dream before Gilbert's lips could meet his._

"Arg!" Matthew groaned, rolling over onto his stomach. He had been having those same dreams for almost three months with the same boy each time, in the same meadow. It always felt so real, but each time, Matthew would awake alone, and feel emptier.

"Mathieu!" His papa called up the stairs. "Breakfast!"

"Coming Papa!" Matthew quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and the hoodie, before bouncing down the stairs to meet up with the rest of his family.

Alfred, his twin brother, sat at the table wolfing down some weird sandwich-looking thing that involved eggs, bacon, and three pancakes, all topped with syrup and what looked like whipped cream. His hair fell haphazardly into his face—and ultimately, his food. All in all, he looked like a mess. Their father Arthur stood at the stove, bushy eyebrows knotted up in concentration as his hair stuck up every which way. Their other father Francis stood beside Arthur, hair back in a ponytail as he smiled at Arthur lovingly, trying to help him cook eggs without failing.

"Good job, mon cherie!" Francis exclaimed as he quickly pulled the eggs off the stove to prevent any burning. Arthur's face lit up in a brilliant smile, as it so often did now-a-days, since Francis began to compliment him more. For a while, Francis had been caught up in a bad life, cheating on Arthur, and getting into drugs. It put the entire family in a dark place, except Alfred. Everyone tried not to let him know, because he was always a sensitive person when it came to his family.

"So, has anything interesting happen lately, boys?" Arthur turned and smile brightly at them. Both shook their heads, and Matthew put a few pancakes on his plate.

"Why, Mathieu, where did you get that ratty old thing?" Francis asked as he picked at the shoulder of Matthew's hoodie.

Matthew looked down at the sweatshirt. "I found it in my closet." He shrugged to seem nonchalant, but he could feel the heat begin to rise in his cheeks.

"Mattie's got a boyfriend!" Alfred yelled suddenly, only deepening the blush. "Mattie's got a boyfriend!"

"I do not!" Matthew shot back, throwing a pancake at his brother.

"Liar~" His brother sang with an evil grin. "What's his name, what's he liiiiiike?"

"I do not have a boyfriend." Matthew huffed, glaring at his brother. "I found it in my closet, end of story."

"At least you came out of the closet." Arthur said with a smirk as he poked Alfred with a wooden spoon. "Alfie still needs to."

"Dad!" Alfred pouted, and Matthew took this as his cue to slip away.

"I'm going to go back to sleep for a while, until I have to go to work." He shot out of the kitchen before anyone could utter a word, and up the stairs. He curled up on his bed, face buried in his pillow. Sleep came quickly, and like he wanted, he dreamed.

_ "Hey, Birdie." Gilbert greeted cheerfully, grinning widely when Matthew entered the clearing they always met up in. "Took you long enough! I was beginning to think I had run you off the last time."_

_ "I wouldn't dream of running from you." Matthew replied, and the pair laughed at the weak joke. The blond's tense muscles relaxed at the sight of his friend. "I do have one question, though.'_

_ "What's that?" He asked, patting the ground next to him. Matthew sat down._

_ "Is this all a dream?" He looked into Gilbert's eyes. "I don't know if this is real, or understand anything."_

_ Gilbert chewed on the inside of his cheek for a moment before answering. "Yes, it's a dream. Does that mean it has to be any less real?" _

_ Matthew turned his head to the side, and thought about it. It really was just a dream, wasn't it? So did it matter what happened in it? _

_ Suddenly, before Matthew had time to process anything, Gilbert rolled over and pinned him down, hands on either side of his head, grinning wickedly. _

_ "Let's say you and me finish what we started?"_

_ Gilbert's lips met Matthew's, but it wasn't like he expected; he thought Gilbert would be gentle, calculating as though had had done this a million times before, but this kiss was hungry as though he needed this salvation as much as Matthew._

_ "Oh, I love you." He whispered in Matthew's ear, playing with the curl that Matthew despised. Surely, Gilbert didn't know what the curl did… though he was proven wrong when the albino tugged on it roughly, eliciting a small moan from the blond._

_ "Damn it, Gil…" Matthew squeaked out, shoving him off with some effort. "What the hell was that for?"_

_ Gilbert blinked at him for a few moments, before sitting up and wiping the edge of his mouth with the back of his hand. "I just felt like it." He replied with an indifferent shrug. "Anything wrong with that?"_

_ "No, I just don't understand… Why me?" Matthew asked curiously, staring up at the sky, the trees, anything but Gil's face. "I don't get it."_

_ Gilbert shrugged again in the corner of Matthew's eyes. "I honestly can't tell you, Birdie."_

_ Matthew sighed, before turning back to look at Gilbert, only to feel the familiar punch of reality as the edges of his dream faded in and out._

_ "I'll be back later!" Matthew yelled as he slipped back into the real world._

Inwardly, he cursed himself for using that as his escape—the world of his dreams—to avoid the pain of his life as he sat up to get ready for work.

Matthew just went through the motions, checking people out at the grocery store he had gotten a job at to try and find a way to keep his mind off the pain that he was put through each and every day. He wanted so badly to go back to sleep, to escape back into the world he lived in when he was unconscious.

"Hello, Alfred." An icy voice cracked through Matthew's fluid motions, and he froze, daring to lift his gaze. Standing before him was the very reason he didn't want to stay out; a sandy blond with a child-like smile, though the dangerous glint of his eyes threw them off.

"Hi Ivan." Matthew said quietly, not willing to correct the Russian.

"Whose hoodie is that?" He asked curiously, though Matthew could hear the threat in his voice.

"Mine," came the almost inaudible response.

Ivan seemed to accept this and grabbed his bag of what appeared to be apples, before turning back to Matthew. "I'll see you again, soon." With that, he was gone, leaving Matthew shaking in fear.

That night, Mathew didn't dream.

* * *

One Month Later

* * *

Matthew sat on the floor beside his window, looking out at the moonlit forest beside his house—the one that he had fallen victim to a crime of the most horrid nature in. However, tonight he found his thoughts not on the world before him, but the one in his head.

The dreams had stopped coming since his encounter with Ivan. It was strange, relying on a man whom he had never met before, and didn't even know to comfort him, even though he was surely nonexistent.

"Come and save me, Gilbert…" Matthew whispered, leaning his head against the fame of the window. Tears slipped down his cheeks, hitting the floor with quiet little splashes. Exhaustion slowly overwhelmed him, and eventually, he slipped under.

_When Matthew opened his eyes, he was on a sandy beach instead of the usual meadow alone. The waves crashed against the shore, calling to the Canadian softly. His stuffed polar bear, Kumajirou sat beside him, staring at him with unblinking eyes._

_ "Kumaru, what are you doing here?" He asked the white bear as he pulled it into his lap._

_ His toes were bare, as where most of his legs as he was wearing shorts, but the sweatshirt was still on. He never took it off, unless it was being cleaned. It was his most prized possession, the only thing proving that the encounters with the albino he had fallen in love with could even possibly be true. _

_ "You called for me." Gilbert's voice came from behind the blond, just as arms wrapped around his waist, a body sliding up behind him. Pale legs spread out on either side of Matthew's, a chin resting on his shoulder. _

_ "I missed you." Matthew confessed quietly, leaning back against Gilbert's chest. "You haven't visited in a month."_

_ "Things have been busy." Gilbert replied, stroking Matthew's arm with his hands as though to ward off everything that was bothering him. "My brother's been hounding me to finish some house work, and it's just gotten really stressful, y'know?"_

_ Matthew didn't respond for a moment; they had never spoken of reality, save when they told one another about their bedrooms—a perverted joke gone slightly off from its original purpose._

_ "You have a brother." He asked finally, after Gilbert had squeezed his hand gently as he waited for a response._

_ "Yeah." Gilbert pressed a soft kiss to his neck lovingly. "His name is Ludwig. He's pretty lame, as far as younger brothers go. You'd think he's the older brother, the way he acts!"_

_ "I have a brother, too." Matthew said after a bit, deciding to relinquish part of his life, too. "His name is Alfred. He's way more popular than I am…"_

_ "Why?" Gilbert asked, his nose snuggling into the base of Matthew's neck where the hoodie began. _

_ "Everyone remembers him, and the ones who hate him always mistake me for him." Matthew whimpered slightly, curling in on himself. _

_ "What's wrong?" Gilbert kissed his neck again as though to invite him to go on._

_ There was an impregnated silence for a while. Neither spoke, one not wanting to interrupt the other, one afraid to tell something so horrible. _

_ "There was this guy, named Ivan," he finally began, "and he had a thing for Alfred. When he saw me in the forest out behind our house, alone, he assumed I was my brother. Ivan has a thing for getting whatever he wants by any means necessary. He didn't believe me when I said I wasn't Alfred, and… He did t-things to me… things I don't want to admit out loud. Things that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy." He shuddered, remembering that night. "I don't know why I told you that. I shouldn't have thought you'd want to hear anything of it. I'm just so-"_

_ "Hush." Gilbert whispered, wrapping his arms around Matthew's waist tighter, pulling him as close as he could. His lips ghosted over Matthew's neck, his jaw, his temple. "You're safe now."_

_ Matthew let out a sigh, as Gilbert's lips kissed away the pain. The two just sat there after a while, watching the dream sun-set, relishing in the other's company as long as possible._

_ "I have to go. I think Ludwig's trying to wake me." Gilbert whispered after what seemed like hours, as the corners of his body began to fade in and out. Matthew wondered faintly if that was what happened when he left._

_ "Goodbye." Matthew called, reaching out to touch his arm, but the albino was already gone. Soon after, reality called to Matthew as well._

"Mattie, wake up!" Alfred was bouncing up and down on Matthew's bed. "Wake up, it's time for school!"

Matthew groaned, rolling over onto his stomach to bury his face in his pillow. That would mean less time with Gilbert, now that Winter Break was over. Sure, he enjoyed school, when he wasn't having his face bashed in, or other… unpleasant things.

Suddenly, Alfred ripped the blanket off the Canadian, who let out a loud yelp; "the hell, Alfred?"

"Get dressed!" Alfred chirped, before dashing off to go eat.

Matthew yawned and got up, pulling on a pair of torn grey jeans that didn't smell like they had been worn yet, and the black hoodie. Shouldering his backpack, he walked downstairs and out the door, ignoring his brother's calls of 'what up!'

"What's wrong with you, Mattie?" Alfred asked when he finally caught up, nudging his brother lightly. The wheat-blond only scowled and continued walking, pretending he never heard Alfred. He made it to the school, and settled into a long day of pretending to care in the world where the only one who would ever care didn't exist.

* * *

_**I really hope you like this edited version. I plan on adding another little section to make it a little better. I won't spoil it for you guys, though! My kitty cat says hi to all of you, cause he kind of just sat on my keyboard... But yeah, enjoy and review?(:**_


	2. You Told?

"Hey, Mattie!" Alfred came up behind Matthew in the lunch line, frightening him enough to spill his mashed potatoes—at least, that's what he _thought_ they were—on the floor with a pathetic _splat._

"Hey, Alfred." Matthew replied solemnly.

Alfred blinked at his brother for a moment. "I'm sorry about the potatoes. I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's not you. I just haven't gotten any sleep lately." Matthew assured him with a weak smile.

However, this wasn't true; Matthew _had_ slept very well. Gilbert, however, hadn't visited since school began—nearly two months ago. Ivan had been tormenting him silently, sending him looks that had sent shivers down his spine. He didn't seem interested in the real Alfred anymore. Now it seemed like all he wanted was the one he thought was Alfred.

"Oh. Well, when we get home, you should try to take a nap!" Alfred answered with a grin, glad to know that he wasn't to blame for Matthew's bad mood. "I'm going to go sit with my friends, now. Bye!"

"Alfred, I—" Matthew stopped when he realized his brother wasn't coming back for him.

A deep pit of despair was beginning to form in his stomach, and he slowly trudged to the table in the back corner that he had begun sitting at. No one bothered him there, and he could eat and think in peace. Ivan didn't have first lunch, so he was free.

_What if he never comes back?_ Matthew wondered in the back of his mind. _What do I do then? _

"Hey, Mattie!" Alfred suddenly plopped across from him. "My table left, so I'm going to sit with you, is that okay?"

Matthew nodded, smiling a little. He hardly spent time with his brother since school started, because he had started football.

"I wanted to talk to you about something, anyways." Matthew replied quietly, and Alfred had to scoot into the chair beside him to hear.

"Sure, go ahead."

"I've been having these dreams lately—"

"Whoa!" Alfred held his hands up. "Now, your wet dreams aren't anything to be ashamed about, but you don't want to share them with anyone."

Matthew blinked at his brother in surprise, before shaking his head. "No! I mean, I've been having realistic dreams…"

Matthew explained his dreams, while Alfred sat there silently for once, listening. Once Matthew was done, Alfred said nothing, just stared at him blankly. Matthew waved a hand in front of his face nervously, afraid that he didn't listen to a word he said. Finally, Alfred's eyes focused again.

"You need help."

Matthew's stomach dropped, as did his once-happy expression. All he could utter was a weak 'what?'

"You're obsessed with this dream guy, and I think you need some help." Alfred replied, shaking his head. "If they don't come back, I don't want you to go into some manic depression, or some shit like that."

Matthew felt tears well up in his eyes, looking down at his lap. "I thought you were someone I could talk to." He whispered, trying to keep his voice from breaking.

"You can!" Alfred quickly assured him. "That's why I want to help you. I don't want to see you get really upset because this boy isn't real."

_Isn't real..._

_ Isn't real…_

It was like it hit Matthew then that Gilbert didn't really exist. There was no way. No one could communicate through dreams. Besides, someone as cute as Gilbert couldn't be interested in Matthew. It was only a dream.

"I need to go home." Matthew squeaked, holding his arms across his stomach as he hunched over, chest leaning against his legs. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Matthew went home after that, and fell asleep quickly. The dream never came. When he woke again, it was nearly midnight. He sat up, pulling his knees against his chest.

"If you're not real, why can't I dream of you?" Matthew whispered to the air. "Why are you so unreachable, if you're only part of my imagination?"

Matthew cried himself to sleep that night.

* * *

The Next Day

* * *

"Your father and I are… uh, _concerned_ about you."

Matthew stared out of the car window at the moving scenery unblinkingly. He ignored the comment his papa made. They were on their way to the therapist for Matthew. He was being forced to have the sessions because Alfred told his parents about it and blew it way out of proportion.

"Matthew, we're doing this because we love you." Arthur added when the blond refused to answer. "We're not punishing you."

"I get that." Matthew replied curtly, shocking his parents into utter silence. This was a side of Matthew that had never manifested itself.

Gilbert never showed up, even though Matthew really needed him then. He felt more tired than he had ever been in his entire life. Tears stained his cheeks, and the ends of his hoodie had small wet spots from where he had held them against his eyes.

When they pulled up to the little office, Matthew felt nothing but contempt. It was a small, plain white building with a sign on the front door saying _'smile, we're here for you!'_ Matthew wanted to rip it from the wall and tear it apart.

"Hello, Matthew." The therapist gave him a fake smile when he walked into the small room that their sessions would be held in. She wasn't very special; just plain brown hair and brown eyes, glasses, and a slightly arched nose. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Dr. Kerstin."

Matthew nodded in her direction with a blank expression as he sat on the couch.

She pursed her lips; obviously this was testing her patience. _Good_, Matthew thought. "So, can you tell me why you're here?"

"My dad told you when he was on the phone with you." Matthew replied with a slight tone of agitation. "I have dreams about this boy, and they think it's a problem."

"Can you tell me about these dreams?" She asked, pen poised to write.

Suddenly, the old Matthew came back as he blushed. "T-that's kind of private…"

A knowing look passed across her face. "Oh, those kinds of dreams."

Matthew blushed even redder. "No, not t-those kinds! Just private."

She tapped her pencil against her cheek for a moment thoughtfully. "Do you think these dreams are an issue, Matthew?"

"No." He replied without having to think about it. "I _know_ they're not real. It's just nice to have someone who cares enough to remember me, or talk to me about _my_ day, not my brother's. To ask me how _I'm _doing, not my brother, to love _me_, just as much as Alfred."

Dr. Kerstin smiled softly. "I want to see you next week, Matthew." She told him. "But for now, can I talk to your parents and brother?"

"Alfred's not here, but you can talk to my papa, and my dad." He stood up and walked back out into the lobby. Dr. Kerstin called Arthur and Francis in, while Matthew sat down on the chair.

The bell of the door opened, and Matthew sunk in his chair, afraid he was about to see someone he knew.

He didn't know just how well he knew this person.


	3. Surprise

Matthew could only stare as he saw the one person he had been wishing to see for so long. Gilbert stood at the counter, speaking in a hushed voice with the woman there. Matthew had to bite back a squeak as Gilbert turned to look at him, and what appeared to be recognition flitted across his face.

"Why are you staring?" Gilbert asked him in what Matthew could only describe as a cocky, yet unsure tone.

"Uh…" He rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously, looking down at the floor to hide his blush. "I j-just got the fe-feeling that I… that I know you from s-somewhere."

"Funny…" Gilbert murmured with a small chuckle.

"Why, 'cause you feel the same?" Matthew asked hopefully, looking back up.

"No, I was just thinking that I was sure I would remember a face like yours if I had ever seen it before." The reply sent Matthew's heart shattering, the pieces seeming to hit the floor with tiny, gut-wrenching _'tinks'_. "I'm Gilbert, nice to meet you."

Just as Matthew reached to shake Gilbert's extended hand, his parents came out and quickly whisked him out of the office. All he could do was stare numbly, back in the same trance he had been in last night.

* * *

Matthew stared at the ground as he waited for Alfred in the rain after school. It was one of those days where the weather decided to reflect his mood, and help him hide the tears he knew full-well were running down his cheeks. He had seen Gilbert around the school, smiling and laughing happily. He was blissfully unaware of the depressed blond wandering around with a forlorn look, bags under his eyes, and his hair always in a mess.

Thunder boomed, and he almost missed the splashes of someone's shoes against wet pavement. _Almost._

"Alfred, it's about—" Matthew froze as he spun, noticing that it was not, in fact, his brother, but Gilbert eyeing him in utter amusement. "G-Gil, what are you doing here?"

"Gil?" The albino raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you give me a pet name?"

"It's easier than Gilbert." Matthew replied quietly, glancing down at the cement self-consciously.

"Oh… Well, anyways. I had a question. What did you mean that first day I saw you, about having the feeling you knew me?" Gilbert looked genuinely interested—not like he cared, just curious.

"Nothing." Matthew replied, waving it away. Gilbert couldn't see the tears.

"Oh. Well then. Bye." Gilbert turned away to walk him, hiding tears of his own.

Neither could see the pain that the other was going through.

That night, Matthew dreamed again.

_ Matthew was in a large field, though it wasn't the familiar, safe meadow that Gilbert usually met him in. No, this field was filled with dead flowers, and what looked like drops of blood on the petals. He could hear the snapping of twigs, and turned to see an evil-looking Ivan. Clean metal glinted in the Russian's hand, making Matthew's heart stop cold._

_ "Ivan, please don't…" He whimpered, backing up as Ivan began advancing upon him. A root tripped him, and fear immobilized all but his voice. "Help! Gil, please help! Someone, anyone!"_

_ "Want to know the best thing about forest?" Ivan asked slowly, as though to make the terror worse as he leaned down to straddle the Canadian's hips. "If you scream, no one will hear you."_

_ Ivan took the knife and ran it down Matthew's cheek, chuckling quietly, maniacally. It cut into his skin a little, leaving a thin trail of blood._

_ "Please, p-please…" Matthew pleaded weakly. "S-stop…"_

_ "I would hear him." Gilbert's voice suddenly reached Matthew's ears, filling him with relief. Ivan got up, glaring at Gilbert, before spontaneously disappearing. Gilbert rushed over and helped a shaking Matthew to his feet, hugging him tightly. _

_ "I thought he was going to kill me." Matthew whimpered. "I know this is all a dream, but I thought I was going to die."_

_ "Hush." Gilbert said softly, petting Matthew's blond hair slowly. "It's all better now, I promise. He won't hurt you anymore."_

_ "I love you." Matthew whispered, not thinking of what he had just admitted as he buried his face in Gilbert's shirt. "I didn't think you would make it in time."_

_ "And I'll always love you, forever and—" _

The dream cut off abruptly by a very loud American airhead of a brother. "Mattie, wake up!"

"Why?" Mattie whined, rolling over. "I don't want to!"

"Because I said so!"

Matthew groaned, and tossed a pillow at Alfred's head. "Get out of my room, and let me get up!"

Once Alfred got out, Matthew got up and pulled on the hoodie and a pair of jeans before trudging down the stairs, not bothering to fix his bed-head.

"Why can't I wake up on my own for once, Alfred?" He asked in the most irritated tone anyone had ever heard come from him. "I was having a nice dream."

Alfred just averted his gaze, assuming the dirtiest thing, and hoped to God he was wrong; he didn't want to imagine his brother thinking of those things! He was the hero, after all, and heroes didn't let their twins think impure thoughts!

Matthew walked into the kitchen and made himself a plate of scrambled eggs. With a lazy grunt when he was finished, he plopped down in a chair and began eating slowly.

Suddenly, there was a knocking on the front door, and Alfred jumped to his feet while Matthew continued eating.

"Mattie, someone's here to see you!"

"Who is it?" He yelled as he grudgingly got up and made his way towards the door ever so slowly.

"Some weird albino guy." Alfred called back before Gilbert's voice indignantly shouted 'hey!'.

"Hey?" Matthew stared at Gilbert for a second before the latter eagerly walked in, looking around the house in awe.

"Damn." He whistled. "This is one awesome house. _Was_, you rich?"

"Yes, we are." Matthew's papa's voice sounded behind him, and he mentally winced. "And who might you be, mon ami?"

"Gilbert Beilschmidt!" Gilbert replied with the playful smirk that Matthew knew so well from his dreams—no longer even having a chance at being reality. Gilbert turned to glance at Matthew, and noticed for the first time the familiar hoodie he was wearing. "Hey, where'd you get that hoodie?"

"That, or Matthew's got a boyfriend." Alfred said with an evil grin. "You should have seen the way he blushed when we brought it up. Kind of like he's doing now."

"Don't you have something to do?" Matthew snapped at his brother, rubbing his cheek violently, as though to wipe the blush away. "What are you doing here anyways, Gilbert?"

"Aw, I'm not Gil anymore?" He smirked, just as someone else knocked at the door.

"Whatever…" Matthew muttered as he trotted over to the door, and threw it open, only to stare in horror and shock at whom was on the other side.

"Hello, Matvey." The quiet words were quickly followed by a sharp pain in his abdomen, and the world beginning to turn black as some more words reached his ears. "You've been lying to me about who you are, Comrade."


	4. Complete At Last

Matthew's family did nothing more than ask what Ivan meant when he fell to the floor clutching his stomach in pain. They stared curiously out the door, while Gilbert yanked Matthew's phone out of his pocket and dialed something. Consciousness was slowly slipping between Matthew's fingers, and he tried grasping at it. He grasped Gilbert's hand instead. He didn't make Matthew let go, and he clung to it as tightly as he could, afraid to let go of him.

* * *

He clung to Gilbert's hand the entire way to the hospital. He couldn't help but wonder if he—his angel—would be okay. It frightened him when his eyes would close. He faded in and out of consciousness, occasionally murmuring something, too soft for the albino to hear. He begged the gods to make him okay again. He prayed to any god out there who would listen to his pleas. He didn't care who was listening. Just someone, anyone. He had to be okay again. Had it not been for seeing him that day, seeing his face, _that face,_ Gilbert would be gone. He was his savior. His Matthew. His baby. His dream. His everything.

* * *

He stayed by Matthew until he lost consciousness all together. When he woke up again, he was alone in his room. He felt bandages around his waist as he sat up, staring at the room in confusion. How had he managed to end up in his bedroom again?

"God, I thought you were gone." Gilbert's voice reached his ears. "My dreams are so lonely without you."

Matthew burst into tears, clinging to the albino tightly when he sat on the edge of the bed. "I-I thought that you were gone." He sobbed, tears wetting the other's shirt. "I didn't dream of you anymore. It's so hard being near you when I know you don't love me out there. I don't know what to do anymore."

Gilbert said nothing. He just rubbed his back. He didn't want to tell him that he was actually there, that it wasn't a dream. He didn't want to say anything about it, only because he knew then how he felt. He was going to make his confession as amazing as he possibly could.

* * *

Matthew was happy—that much was obvious to his family—two weeks after his wounds had healed. Ivan had been arrested for attempted manslaughter. He was dancing happily on his bed, clad only in the black sweatshirt and a pair of Canadian flag boxers. He was oblivious to his family with his ear-buds stuck in his ears, listening to music only he could hear—though Alfred was sure he was able to pick up the beat to some Avril Lavigne song. The family backed out slowly at the sound of someone at the door. Matthew continued dancing, dancing with a mint green bunny with wings.

"Hey, hey, you, you, I don't like your girlfriend~" he sang, unaware of the patter of bare feet coming up into his room. So, when a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, he let out a loud yelp.

"M-maple!" He shrieked, squirming in attempt to get the arms to let go.

"Hey, Birdie." Gilbert whispered quietly in his ear, making them freeze.

"Gil?" The Canadian turned around slowly in Gilbert's arms, blinking at him. "Why did you just call me Birdie?"

He didn't answer right away; instead, he sat down and pulled Matthew into his lap. Then, he pressed his lips to the base of his neck, making the blond blush and squirm. "I'm finally coming clean."

"W-what… do y-you want to-I mean… What do you w-want to tell m-me?" He gulped, no longer squirming.

"You remember the day I first came to school?" He asked, his lips brushing ever so lightly against the blond's skin as he spoke. "You said you felt like you knew me from somewhere. Well, guess what?"

All Matthew could do was let out a ragged sigh in response. His heart raced. His breathing was sparse, sporadic. There was a fire in his veins that should be there in the real world. This Gilbert, he didn't understand and love him like the Gilbert of his dreams did.

Suddenly, Gilbert's lips were next to Matthew's ear, tickling it with his breathy words. "You do."

Matthew let out a very intelligent 'huh?'

Surely Gilbert was kidding, right?

"You know what I'm talking about." Gilbert pressed. "You do know me from somewhere. Your dreams. You dream of me."

"That's full of yourself." Matthew laughed nervously, trying to play it off. The truth was, he was panicking. When faced with what he wanted, he didn't believe it.

"I love you, Matthew." He pulled him down so he was lying across the albino's chest. "You're my everything."

He soon claimed Matthew's lips, and Matthew finally felt what it was to be loved in reality.

* * *

"Hey Mattie?" Gilbert said quietly a while later, while they lay curled up together on the floor in Matthew's living room before the fire. Matthew's family had left some time ago, claiming they had a movie to catch, but from the look in Francis' eyes, they were just waiting for Matthew to lose himself to the albino.

"Hmm?" The Canadian hummed tiredly, eyes closed as he rested his head on Gilbert's chest.

"How'd you get my sweatshirt?"

"Mmh n't sure." Came the half-awake response. "I woke up with it on."

Gilbert hummed in reply, before getting up without warning. Matthew let out a yelp as his head hit the floor painfully, and sat up, rubbing his now-sore scalp.

"What was that for?" The Canadian asked, an eyebrow raised.

"I just remembered!" Gilbert said, holding up a newspaper clipping with Ivan's face on it. "Ivan's been put in jail for assaulting an officer. He can't hurt you anymore!"

Matthew stated at Ivan's face for a moment, before bursting into tears. The albino just sat there for a moment, stunned.

"What? Birdie?" He ran over to Matthew once he could think, and hugged him tightly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Matthew sobbed into Gilbert's shirt. "That's the great thing... Absolutely nothing is wrong."

Gilbert stared at the blond, before attacking Matthew's mouth with his own. The two quickly became tangled up together in limbs.

Breathless, Gilbert pulled back and smiled softly at Matthew. "Ich liebe dich, Völgechen."

Matthew smiled happily, before kissing the corner of Gilbert's mouth chastely. "I love you too, Gil."


End file.
